Renewables paired with storage are reliable
Montana has abundant wind and solar resources, and these two forms of energy production complement each other well. Wind is stronger in low pressure weather systems and at night, and sun is stronger in high pressure weather. Wind is stronger in winter, and sun is stronger in the summer. Together, the two forms of renewable energy (along with existing hydro plants and peak shaving strategies) can meet most of our needs. Of course there are times when the sun is hidden and the wind is calm -- but a variety of different kinds of energy storage systems can reliably fill in the gaps. For example, Texas, which suffered a deadly winter power outage in 2021 caused primarily by gas plant failures, has since added more wind, solar, and battery storage capacity than any other state. These additions are credited with helping them weather a brutal heat wave (and high energy use) during the summer of 2023 without blackouts.
Further reliability is achieved by sharing energy across large regions. NWE participates in a far reaching network of utilities which generate electricity across the West -- when we have excess power we can sell it on the open market, or buy it when needed. This is how NWE kept the power on during the intense cold snap of Jan 2024 when their coal plant was offline for repairs and the wind was calm. In fact, this is how NWE keeps the power on a regular basis when their own supply doesn’t meet local needs. While NWE representatives frequently complain about how much money they lose when they have to buy power on regional markets during extreme weather, they neglect to say that since joining this market in 2021 they have made far more than they have spent — saving us more than 74 million dollars overall.
Montana is home to one of the largest wind farms in the country, the 750 MW Clearwater wind project, but the electricity generated is all exported to other states. Montanans deserve the same reliable, affordable and clean energy that our neighbors enjoy. Wind, solar, and storage combine to provide hundreds of millions of people across the globe with reliable energy every day - we can can do this too!
The oil and gas lobby doesn’t want you to believe that renewables paired with storage are reliable, but power outages are no more likely in renewable systems than in fossil fuel systems. In Montana, the Colstrip coal plant has gone offline for months at a time for maintenance and repairs, and methane plants also experience the same kinds of failures that any large and complex machine can.
NWE and some climate advocates argue that limited methane generation capacity is necessary to make the transition to renewables. The argument is that an efficient methane plant has the capacity to generate small or large amounts of electricity on demand when the wind and sun are not present for extended periods of time or during extreme and extended weather events. The idea is that these plants would not be used except when necessary, would only provide a very small percent of the yearly needs, and would thus allow us to stop relying on coal for providing large amounts of steady power. While controversial, this idea may have merit. Unfortunately, NWE is trying to build these highly expensive methane plants while also expanding and prolonging their use of coal. They are currently planning to expand their use of coal and keep burning it for at least two decades (Northwestern Energy: “Net-Zero by 2050” p.12 ).
As long as NWE is planning to expand coal and keep it burning for years, there can be no justification for new methane generation.
Before we should consider supporting methane plants, we need a clear plan and commitment for the rapid retirement of coal generation and an immediate expansion of renewables and storage. NWE has made progress expanding wind generation over the past 5 years, but has failed to build out the solar and storage necessary to make the transition away from coal.